Omne Trium Perfectum
by Team Kaka-Sensei
Summary: "It's so simple, sweetheart. All we have to do is die. It'll be painless, I promise." One-shot, Team 7, NaruSakuSasu, OT3. Don't like, don't read.


A/N: Because I've had _so many_ Team 7 feels lately, and I've discovered the beauty that is NaruSakuSasu OT3. Because with the direction the manga is currently heading, tragedy will be the likely (and most fitting) ending for our favorite team. Because they started together and they will go out together.

A huge inspiration for this is the _amazing_ AMV by Alepazzo88 titled Team 7 - Let It Burn. Everyone needs to watch this if they have not already! Its some emotional stuff.

When I started writing this, I did not intend for it to become so long! But it just took a life of its own. So if you manage to read all the way to the end, thank you so much! I've been wanting to capture this side of Team 7 that's been in my head.

Pairings: NaruSakuSasu as in OT3, not a love triangle.

Rating: T for language and some violence.

Disclaimer: Written purely for fanfiction. In no way associated with Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own Naruto.

**Edited on July 1st, 2013. Fixed minor grammatical errors and added a few small additions/rewordings.**

* * *

_.Omne__ Trium __Perfectum._

* * *

"_We are in the preliminary stage of one of the greatest battles in history..._

_I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat._

_We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind._

_We have before us many, many months of struggle and of suffering._

_You ask, what is our aim?_

_I can answer in one word: Victory._

_Victory at all costs -_

_Victory in spite of all terror -_

_Victory, however long and hard the road may be,_

_For without victory there is no survival."_

_- Winston Churchill_

* * *

_.one._

* * *

There were some nights during missions with Team 7, when the fire that Naruto had gathered wood and rocks for, that Sasuke had breathed into life, was gently simmering into ashes and sparks; when Kakashi-sensei had a rush of fondness for his three little genin and tucked them tightly, safely in their bedrolls and stood watch over his students; when heavy rumblings of a sleeping Naruto and the light, breathless pants of Sasuke ushered a sense of peace over her weary bones, that Sakura would lie awake on her back, green eyes dancing with the stars above, and think about the fate of her team.

On these precious few nights, with all three of them together, finally getting along (even if only in slumber), Sakura felt the safest she ever had in her twelve years of life.

* * *

_.blood._

* * *

Itachi's eyes were inside him.

_Can you see the world, Onii-san?_

He had killed his older brother, his older brother who had _loved him_, and now his eyes were inside him.

_Can you see the world burning?_

His mind was still working sluggishly, the effects of the drug Madara had administered put him under for the eye surgery lingering. He tried to sit up, but the slightest movement of his head sent the world tumbling, the vertigo made worse by the bandages wrapped around his head and over his eyes.

_Itachi's eyes._

Sasuke hissed under his breath and waited for the nausea to pass. He assumed he was still lying on the table in Madara's secret layer, surrounded by shelves lined with jar after jar of eyes.

_Sharigan_ eyes.

_Uchiha_ eyes.

The thought that those eyes had once belonged to his relatives, perhaps his aunts and uncles (or Okaa-san and Otou-san) or cousins, disgusted Sasuke to no end. When the elder Uchiha had first led him into the cave and he gazed upon the legacy of his clan, the teen nearly snapped and attacked Madara right there, the sick fuck.

He had restrained himself. He was still recovering from his battle with Itachi (his murder of Onii-san). Sasuke would not have been able to even nick the man in that state. And besides, he still had use of him. Who else would be able or willing to implant Itachi's eyes in him?

Who else would allow him, aid him, in the destruction of Konoha?

So Sasuke chilled his rage, the red ebbing from his vision as he once again gained control, and stored it in his cold heart for later use. The muscle already contained infinite abhorrence for his former village, for those ignorant, loathsome villagers who lived in peace thanks to his brother's sacrifice, for a certain former teammate who preached empty words of redemption and salvation; what's a little more?

Only a short time remained in his tentative partnership with Madara. With control of seven out the nine tailed beasts, he would have undoubtably waged war on the Shinobi Alliance by now. Tch, how pathetic. The alliance of the five great Shinobi nations showed how weak they all truly were. Even with thousands of troops working side by side, they will be crushed by two men.

Of course, they wielded the power of the Bijuu, but the monsters were controlled by the power of the Sharigan.

The ninja will put up a courageous fight against the two Uchiha. They won't go down easy. Their whole life, their very existence is at stake. The lives of their families and loved ones depend on the outcome of this war. If they lose, it means total annihilation for them.

A sinister smirk adorned his face.

He wanted these people to feel that desperation. He wanted them to know the sting of loss, to watch their comrades' lives drain out with each drop of blood right before their eyes. He wanted them to cry in agony with the knowledge that they have nothing, absolutely nothing left in life to love or live for. He wanted them to beg for it all to end.

Then, maybe then they will have a taste of what Sasuke felt and has felt since that fateful evening in the Uchiha compound. Maybe then these guilty people will understand a shred of the anguish Itachi lived with.

Then, maybe then, Sasuke will be able to rest in peace. The Uchiha name will be avenged and cleansed of Konoha scum and the rest of the ninja world will be in ruins, never able to rise again and continue with this unforgivable trend.

_Will you watch me do it, Onii-san? Will you watch me destroy the world?_

At the head of the resistance will be Naruto. He'll be in the thick of battle, where the most pressing danger presents itself, for he always loved to be the center of attention.

His eyes will be a raging blue, or more likely red with the Kyuubi's chakra, his hero complex at its pinnacle. The blonde will shout and scream and speak those empty words of redemption and salvation. He will feel as if the fate of the ninja world is somehow _his_ burden to bear, and Sasuke will not try to convince him otherwise.

He needs Naruto at his toughest, putting all his aces on the table and using all his tricks. He needs him violent and raging and out of control. He needs to have his heart on his sleeve, out in the open so Sasuke can see each beat pump distress through him.

He needs Naruto alive, more alive than he's ever been before, so when he impales his sword through his beating heart he can watch its ministrations slow until they are no more, so he can watch the light in his eyes dim out, the last look on his whiskered face one of horror, the realization that Sasuke has won, chasing him to death.

(He needs Naruto)

When the world is bathed in the blood red that painted the sky during his torture under Itachi's Tsukiyomi, as he witnessed his parents' death over and over and over again, Sasuke will finally be able to die and find the peace that has eluded him all these years.

_I'll be with you again, Onii-san. With you and Okaa-san and Otou-san._

His eyes itched at the prospect, and Sasuke knew he was ready to face the world again. He reached to undo the wrappings that blackened his sight, only to be met with resistance.

_What?_

As pale fingers sought his face, the binding on his wrist became apparent. Was he - was he _chained down? _Attempts from his opposite hand yielded the same results. Madara had apparently chained him down during the operation, ready for the chance that Sasuke might thrash and bring harm to himself and Madara while under, and left him like this until his return from wherever the hell he was currently.

Sasuke felt his annoyance for his ancestor spike. He raised his head again, this time the slight spinning of the world no longer incapacitating, and he gained bearing of his surroundings as best he could while blindfolded and chained to a bed.

Except he _wasn't_ in a bed, Sasuke realized with a jolt. He wasn't even laying down. The cold, stiff texture of a wall was pressed against his back, and the smooth, dusty floor rested underneath his legs. The movement of his hands indicated that his wrists were chained to the wall at head level, not close enough to allow even the barest of touches to his hair, but near enough that his arms would not become strained.

His annoyance quickly developed into out right anger, terrible anger. What the fuck was Madara thinking, chaining him to a wall? What purpose could that serve other than to piss off his fellow clan member? Was this some form of punishment, for his blatant disrespect to his elder? For not retrieving the Eight Tails, as ordered?

A threatening growl escaped his lips. Sasuke began to thrash against his bindings, calling upon all his strength to rip himself free from the wall, any lasting haziness from the drug instantly forgotten. He couldn't even move an inch from his position before he met resistance and was slammed back to the concrete. A headache started to form as his skull hit the wall after multiple attempts to surge forward.

"Enough of this!" Sasuke snarled. He may not be able to form hand signs as his hands were separated, but he had learned to channel his chidori through his body on command without needing to. He stilled to concentrate his chakra to his wrists, feeling the familiar tingle of lightning dance across his skin, and tensed in anticipation to break free -

The lightning sputtered out suddenly, and he felt his chakra being drained straight from his body, leaving an empty, aching feeling inside him. Sasuke stilled for a second, incredulous at the events that had just transpired. He summoned chakra once more, chidori sparking at his wrists, ready to blast through his manacles, yet half a second later his jutsu was put out, chakra evaporated.

_Chakra-draining handcuffs,_ the dark haired teen realized.

Then the panic set in.

He thrashed even more violently than before, arms straining with all their might, head whipping from side to side, legs kicking at air. Angry, desperate sounds left his lips as claustrophobia crushed him. He couldn't see, couldn't move, and couldn't sense anything about his surroundings without his chakra.

"Madara!" He screamed. "MADARA!"

Had Sasuke stopped for a few seconds, he would have heard his own yells echo back at him, indicating he was in a moderate to small sized room. If he subdued his spasms against the wall, he would have been able to detect a faint rattling of chains somewhere to his right.

"MADARA!" His voice cracked at the end of the cursed name, vocal cords straining at the intensity. "Show yourself! What is the meaning of this?!"

It was only after his calls went unanswered a second time that Sasuke quieted, mind swimming and head pounding from the exertion. His chest heaved as he fought to calm himself, to gain control of his emotions. He heard a groan and froze, sucking in his last breath.

"Nrrggh," came the noise from his right and he nearly gave himself whiplash as he snapped his head in that direction. "Sasuke-teme, what's with all the yelling?"

_Naruto?_

Sasuke's forehead creased in confusion and irritation, ready to demand answers, when the creak of a door opening stalled him, light washing over his bandaged eyes.

* * *

_.tears._

* * *

Her eyes flashed open, pupils dilating rapidly, and her chest rose sharply with a sudden intake of air. Immediately on guard, the kunoichi tensed, gathering chakra in her fists, waiting for any sign of the enemy or an attack. There was nothing, only an eery silence.

Sakura rose slowly, resting her weight on her right hand. She glanced around her, trying to discern her current location. All around her was nothing but blackness, pervading the sky and distant horizon. The only contradiction was the ground, made up of numerous white rectangular blocks, scattered and stacked haphazardly, stretching well into the fading black.

_Where am I? How did I get here? What happened?_

Her hands met and formed the necessary sign to break genjutsu. "Kai!" Nothing happened. "Kai!" She tried again, with the same result. Her hands began to shake.

"Shizune!" She cried out, her voice sucked into darkness. "Tsunade-shishou! Kaka-sensei! Anybody!"

Her lips trembled. _"Naruto!"_

The noise of her panting was the sole response obtained. Tears welled up in her eyes and she clamped her lids shut, refusing to let them spill over.

_Suck it up, Sakura! Now is not the time to fall apart!_

Focusing on steadying her breathing, Sakura counted to ten. Once her heart rate slowed, she gathered herself into a more comfortable position and brought her hands into a basic hand sign, beginning her meditation.

_Okay, take this one step at a time. What is the last thing I remember?_

Sakura had been occupied in the medical tents set up on the battlefield, healing the critically wounded. She had her hands full, simultaneously healing a shinobi with a punctured lung and internal bleeding while barking out orders to the other medics. She had just directed a hurt soldier to any empty cot when the tent flap opened and -

_And then what?_

Her memory was unexpectedly blank after that. The last thing Sakura recalled was catching a glimpse of fingers pulling back the tarp and then ... nothing. The girl frowned. The blanks in her memory were definitely worrisome. Had they been tampered with? Had she passed out from chakra exhaustion? Or did someone knock her out?

_Where am I? _She revisited the question. Summoning her chakra (at least she still had her chakra), Sakura expanded her senses, probing out into the environment, searching for something, anything. An endless of chasm of bitter cold and emptiness was all she found. Perturbed, she shivered and hastily ceased her ministrations.

_I guess I really am alone..._

The most reasonable explanation she could come up with was kidnapping. They were in the midst of a war, and Sakura was a prime target. It was basic strategy to eliminate the enemy's medical resources and backup, and Sakura was the head of the Shinobi Alliance's. Why not just kill her outright? Why take her as prisoner and risk her escaping?

The reason hit her with a bone-chilling coldness that surpassed the darkness she had broached moments earlier. They wanted her alive, to preserve a tiny shred of hope. They wanted her alive to use her as bait.

They were using her to get to Naruto.

"No," Sakura whispered, eyes wide and distraught.

It was well known throughout the five great Shinobi nations that the Number One, Loudmouthed, Knuckle-headed Ninja never, ever gave up. If one of his most precious persons was taken captive, he would stop at absolutely nothing to save them. Especially Sakura.

"That doesn't make any sense. Naruto already came out of hiding with Bee-san. He's directly confronting the enemy. What do they need me for?" She mused.

Perhaps she wasn't intended as bait after all, which was extremely troubling. While Sakura was fully confident in her abilities as a medic-nin and shinobi, she was under no illusions that she could even hold a candle to the skills and talent that ninja like Naruto and Kakashi-sensei possessed. Combatively speaking, she was not an imminent threat, not like she was medically. Which brought her back to square one: why keep her alive? What use could they possibly have of her?

Were they going to threaten her into submission, force her to heal the enemy? If so, they were in for quite a surprise. Her resolve was pure steel and she would refuse to cave to their desires, whatever they may be.

Any other explanation that Sakura could derive was horrifically unpleasant and she banished the thoughts away. Thinking negatively would get her nowhere. An inelegant snort emitted from her. _I already am in the middle of nowhere._

Almost instantaneously a strange feeling swept over her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched the vision in front of her swirl and fluctuate, accompanied by the queer feeling of being squeezed and compacted into a tiny space. Her body was ripped out of the area before she had the chance to even squeal.

Without warning she was deposited onto a cold floor rather roughly, pure reflex allowing her to use the momentum and roll into a crouch, fists up in a defensive position, chakra thrumming. She was ready to face her captor.

Sakura's eyes took a second to adjust to the light shining through the doorway in front of her, casting a figure in shadows. It did not take long, however, for the teen to make out the details of the person. Dread flooded her veins.

_It can't be!_

"Sakura-chan!" A frighteningly familiar voice exclaimed. She'd know that voice anywhere.

Sakura whirled around, taking in the sight of a chained Naruto, appearing exhausted and a little worse to wear, locked behind bars in a prison cell. Her heart froze in her chest.

"Naruto!" She scrambled towards him, forgetting the threat behind her, every fiber of her being screaming for her to _get Naruto out now._

"Not so fast, Sakura." A smooth, deadly tone warned her. She skidded to a halt, turning once more to face the man, falling back into a fighting stance. There was no way in hell she was going to let this man touch Naruto.

"Madara," Sakura spit out, eyes narrowing at the legendary shinobi.

A single, red Sharigan eye stared impassively back at her through the one eye hole in the swirling mask.

"Let Naruto go immediately!" She demanded, with much more gusto than she truly felt. Her fists clenched tighter to hide the trembling in her hands.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening just yet, Sakura," Madara informed in a friendly tone, as if they were acquaintances. "I still need to extract the Kyuubi from him. You're welcome to Naruto after I'm done."

"Like hell you're getting anywhere near me or Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled from behind the bars. "I won't let you hurt her!" The chains rattled vigorously as the blonde struggled to break free.

Madara chuckled, amused by the display presented before him, and Sakura's anger intensified. "You're going to have to go through me first!" She sprinted forward, fist rearing back in preparation to smash all the bones in the ancient Uchiha's body to dust. The man stood there, unmoving, lone eye lazily tracking her movements. His guard wasn't even up. Her fist surged towards him, chakra flaring, aiming right for his mask.

Her hand sailed right through his head, meeting no resistance, and Sakura stumbled in surprise, her whole body passing through Madara. Before she had time to process her failed attack and launch another, a hand roughly seized the collar of her flak vest, throwing her across the room. Sakura's eyes focused on the steel bars she was flying towards, knowing she would not be able to move in time to avoid impact, and managed to twist in the air, her hip, thigh and shoulder colliding with the metal instead of her head. Her teeth ground together as she felt the bruises form.

"Sakura-chan!" Desperate worry colored Naruto's voice. "Don't you dare touch her, you bastard!" His continued growls were drowned out by the clanking of the chains as he fought against them.

_Damnit! _Sakura cursed as she briefly brushed a healing hand over her injuries and scrambled to her feet. _I couldn't even touch him, and he flicked me aside like a bug! How am I supposed to fight a guy like him?_

Green eyes flickered to Naruto as he flailed. _Why doesn't he use jutsu to escape? _Her eyes widened as she gazed upon the manacles. _Are those chakra-draining chains? Shit, this is getting worse and worse by the second. I need to get us out of here, fast._

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted she spotted movement from her peripheral. She glanced to the right, and inside the cell she hit, sitting there also chained to the wall, was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun!" She gasped, too stunned to move. In response to his name the younger Uchiha visibly stiffened, face turning in her direction, and Sakura noticed the bandages around his eyes.

"Ah, yes, so you've finally noticed the presence of your second teammate. Or should I say, "former" teammate?" Madara walked towards them and Sakura manipulated the chakra in her hands into scalpels. _Why is Sasuke-kun here too? Why is he chained? Isn't he supposed to be working with Madara?_

"What is the meaning of all this?" Sakura demanded, tensing even more as Madara neared. "Why did you bring us here? Why is Sasuke-kun chained?"

Madara ignored her as he asked, "So tell me, Sasuke, how does it feel to be reunited with your teammates again, and so soon?"

Sakura launched herself at him before he could speak again, slicing her hand down his arm, an action which would have severed the tendons in the area. As predicted, her attack slipped right through him, and in retaliation she slashed up with her other hand, targeting his neck.

A hand shot up and snatched her wrist, stalling her movement. Madara pulled her to him and backhanded her sharply across the face with his free hand. Sakura's head snapped violently to the side and she tasted blood, her ears ringing. She tried to kick him in the shin as she moved to orient herself again, but Madara easily read her movement and knocked her feet out from under her. While falling, he twisted the arm he still held and flipped Sakura onto her stomach, chin landing painfully on the ground. She used her left arm, laden with chakra, to push herself free with her superhuman strength, but Madara captured that arm as well and wound it behind her back to join the other.

Madara slammed one foot between her shoulder blades, pinning her down. He jerked his arms up violently, the movement directing her arms to follow, and a pained noise emanated from Sakura as she felt her shoulders wrench against their sockets.

In a distant part of her mind, Sakura realized this was a sick reenactment of their encounter with the genin team from Sound during Team 7's first Chunin Exam. The thought of Sasuke brought her back to the present. Her eyes flew open and she stared at the young man sitting a few feet away from her. He remained oddly still and impassive despite the (unevenly matched) fight unfurling before him, the only sign he was even aware of the scuffle being the pinching of his eyebrows and frown marring his visage.

_Well, he can't exactly see or move. _Sakura thought cynically.

"How does it feel, Sasuke," Madara continued from where he last left off. "to know the people who you severed your bonds with, the teammates you wish to _kill_ are here with you now?"

The reminder of their last meeting combined with the ache in her shoulders sent tears brimming on the edge of her lids. Even through her blurred vision Sakura saw Sasuke flinch and his fists tighten. Madara's foot pressed down harder on her back and Sakura hissed, biting her lip to prevent further sounds from escaping.

"I wonder..." Madara's voice dropped to a low, menacing drawl. "Would you try to kill them again, right now? While they're both so vulnerable?" To accentuate his point, the masked man pulled back on Sakura's arms, and this time she couldn't hold back the scream as she felt her shoulders dislocate.

Sakura was vaguely aware of Naruto screaming in the background, a white hot pain overpowering all her other senses. She thought weakly that she should tell him to calm down before the Kyuubi started taking over in response to his anger, but then Madara wrenched her head up by her hair and everything was forgotten as another wave of pain coursed through her in response.

He had put enough strength in the movement to hall her up until she was barely standing on her feet, the abruptness of the action causing her dislocated arms to swing uselessly by her sides, and the tears cascaded down her flushed cheeks.

_Damnit, I'm still so weak. Madara took me down like it was nothing and now I'm _crying _in front of him. What is wrong with you, Sakura?!_

The cold blade of a kunai pressed on her jugular, the erratic beating of her pulse throbbing precariously against the sharpened knife. Madara began to move the two of them forward, his grip on her pink locks unwavering as she stumbled over her feet, knees still weak with pain. Embarrassingly, Sakura found herself having to lean on her attacker to ensure she wouldn't fall over.

They approached the door of Sasuke's cell, and the weapon was lowered briefly from her neck as Madara reached somewhere beneath his cloak and produced a key to unlock it. Once open, the kunai found purchase next to the artery in her neck again and they continued forward to the imprisoned Uchiha.

"What will you do, Sasuke?" His sick line of questioning continued as they came to a stop in front of the teen's feet. "Weak, annoying Sakura is right here for the killing. She has no way to defend herself. Will you put her out of her misery?"

Sakura's heart pounded inside her chest, fear running rampant through her. Sasuke had tried to kill her once, when she failed to kill him herself, and now he was going to complete the deed. _Oh no, please, not in front of Naruto. Look away, Naruto! Look away!_

"I'm tired of your theatrics, Madara," Sasuke finally spoke up, anger lacing his voice. "Just shut up and let me out of here."

"Is that a no?" The man ignored his demand. Sasuke growled at his question and strained against his chains, halting the movement of what Sakura surmised to be him trying to reach out and strangle her.

"Well, in that case," Madara lashed out suddenly, kunai tearing the bandages that concealed Sasuke's eyes, "You can watch me kill her instead."

As the dirtied cloth fell from Sasuke's face, his eyes opened, locking gazes with her tear-filled ones. Anger, and perhaps panic, flashed across his orbs, as Madara's kunai traveled ever faster to Sakura's throat, ready to slice it open.

_At least I got to see Sasuke-kun one last time._

"NO!"

Everything stilled in the room, from Sakura's labored breathing, to Madara's weapon, and even Naruto's crazed yelling.

Sasuke looked as surprised as Sakura felt at his sudden outburst.

"What was that, Sasuke?" Madara's tone was eerily flat.

Anger contorted Sasuke's face at the question and he petulantly replied, "I said no. Both her and Naruto are mine to kill."

There was another loaded pause as the former Team 7 waited for Madara's response.

He laughed and Sakura flinched. "Well, well, Sasuke! This is an interesting development, indeed." He returned his kunai to his weapons pouch. "Lucky for you, I wasn't planning to kill her yet. I still have use for her, as well."

Without further explanation Madara proceeded to drag Sakura across the room and into an empty cell directly across from Sasuke's. He shoved her down to sit next to the wall and roughly yanked her throbbing arms and chained them up. Sakura screamed again and thrashed, trying to kick him. Her feet merely slipped through his legs.

"What a beautiful sight this is!" Madara proclaimed, slamming the door to Sakura's cell shut and locking it. He moved to the middle of the room, directly center of the three occupied cells. "Three teammates, all imprisoned together. Kakashi certainly instilled _teamwork_ in you guys."

"MADARA!" Sasuke yelled, losing his composure in his ire and writhed against his chains. "What is the meaning of this? Release me!"

"Yeah, what the bastard said!" Naruto chimed in, his face clouded with acrimony that rivaled the other teen's.

"I supposed I can inform you now, since I've kept you wondering for so long." Madara chirped.

"I intend to use the power of the Juubi and the Infinite Tsukiyomi to implement my Moon's Eye Plan and cast this world into a never ending dream, one that I control."

"We know that already!" Naruto interrupted. "And there's no way in hell that crackpot scheme is going to work! You'll never get the Kyuubi from me!"

"Ah, but you see Naruto, I don't need to extract the Kyuubi from you to create the Juubi."

Naruto stilled. "What?"

"I can use the chakra from the bodies of the Gold and Silver brothers, which contains part of the Nine Tail's chakra." If he didn't have a mask covering his face Sakura was sure she'd see a sinister smirk crawling over it. "In fact, I already did."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, panic obvious in his voice.

"It's too late to stop me, Naruto. I've already created the Juubi. As we speak, it is currently engaging in battle with the Shinobi Alliance. Well, more like exterminating."

Sakura felt the blood drain from her face. It couldn't be. The Juubi was an all-powerful monster, capable of ultimate creation and destruction. Her friends were out there right now, fighting this thing? She gritted her teeth, wishing she was out there battling along side them.

"That still doesn't tell us why you brought us here," Sasuke intoned, glaring dangerously at Madara. Sakura noticed his Sharigan wasn't activated. _He doesn't have enough chakra,_ she realized. _The cuffs constantly drain us of any that we recover._

"You're right, it doesn't." Madara agreed. "Over the years I did research on the Sage of Six Paths and the Juubi to perfect my plan, and during my studies I discovered something interesting. A legend so old that it was nearly forgotten. A legend that, if knowledge about it got out, would put my unstoppable plan in danger.

"The Power of Three."

* * *

_.sweat._

* * *

Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion. He had never once heard of this so-called legend.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto spat out.

"The Sage of Six Paths was truly a remarkable individual, but even a man such as himself had to study the nature of chakra from somewhere." Madara began.

"In his younger days, before he confronted the Juubi and made himself its Jinchuuriki, the Sage traveled the land, searching for a way to achieve peace in a war-torn world. One day, while in deep meditation, he became aware of a powerful presence nearby. Mistaking it for the Juubi, he went after it. However, he discovered something completely different.

"He found a very ancient power, something as old as the Juubi itself." The masked man informed cryptically.

"Something as old as the Juubi itself?" Sakura murmured through her heavy pants.

"Perhaps he was able to figure out what, exactly, this power was, but he never recorded it, and the truth died with him." Madara continued. "The Sage spent time studying this power, and that is how he discovered the true nature of Chakra. You all know the story from there, about how he created ninjutsu, and then went on to defeat the Juubi and become the first Jinchuuriki.

"When he was nearing his death, the Sage realized the immense power and knowledge he gained from his force would mean utter chaos if it fell into the wrong hands. He tried to destroy it to prevent such a thing from happening. He failed to understand that such an ancient entity could not be disposed of so easily.

"The power split into three parts and scattered far into the corners of the world. The Sage could not sense its presence anymore, and deemed his job done. This gave him the idea of splitting the Juubi into the nine tailed beasts. Soon after, he died, and the knowledge of this power with him."

A light chuckle resounded from behind the mask. "Until now."

"That sounds like a load of crap!" Naruto erupted. "Why should we believe you?"

"Because, Naruto, this power still exists, in its three different parts, and I have now collected them."

Naruto felt a cold dread sweep over him. He did not like where Madara's explanation was headed.

"The power lives in you three - Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke's cool voice cut through the stunned silence.

"Exactly what I said. A part of the power is inside each of you." Madara motioned to each member of Team 7. "From the moment the Sage split it, this force has been trying to combine once more. For whatever reason, it chose humans as its vessel for this, specifically shinobi.

"You can find its mark in recent history if you know what you're looking for. It first became apparent to me with the three Sannin, but trying to achieve harmony with those three was ineffective, for obvious reasons."

Naruto's heart began to pound. _This is bullshit,_ he told himself. _There's no way any of this can be true_. If he didn't believe this mad-man, then why was he suddenly so afraid?

"Its next try was with Team Minato. That attempt failed even faster than with the Sannin. But it learned quickly. It then manifested itself into three more children, who would be assigned into a team that held similar characteristics to the two before."

Madara spread his arms out, as if to embrace the whole room. "And I have successfully brought you three together, and not a moment too soon. Your team was close to breaking, just like the others before you." His fists clenched. "I will awaken the power within you, and use it to destroy this world and create a new one! We will not have to live in fantasy, I will create a new reality, a better one, single-handedly!"

"You're fucking crazy!" Naruto's voice trembled. "There is no power! We're going to break out of place and kill you _and _defeat the Juubi! Just you wait!"

Madara was unaffected. "There is no time to waste." He reached into the Akatsuki robe and pulled out a thick scroll.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke demanded. Naruto turned to him and noticed he appeared just as confused and, unless he was imagining it, scared, about Madara's actions.

"Summoning the power." Was the elder Uchiha's reply. He unfurled the scroll, its length trailing all over the floor. Strange symbols were written on it, nothing close to the kanji Naruto was familiar with. Madara seemed to meditate for a few seconds, then began chanting in a language he did not recognize.

Naruto felt a stirring within him. The familiar warmth of his chakra ran through his veins, but there was something off. It wasn't moving in the same patterns as it usually did, and it felt like it was burning him from the inside out, like the Kyuubi's used to. Only it wasn't trying to force its way out, it was going... further in?

_What's going on? _He thought through the sudden onslaught of pain. _What's happening?_

_Don't fight it, kid, _the Kyuubi spoke. _This is not a force to be reckoned with._

_Kurama? What's happening to me? Is this your doing?_

_No, sorry kid. This is something beyond me._

Naruto felt the Kyuubi's presence slip away. He couldn't focus on anything, his awareness of the room he was currently being held prisoner in fading into black. His whole body felt as if it was vibrating, his head nearly splitting as a high-pitched noise rattled his ears. All of his senses were being over loaded with this... this... _power._

_Make it stop! _He desperately pleaded.

Distantly, he could still hear the low baritone of Madara's chanting. Blue eyes opened partly, sweat slightly clouding his vision, just enough to glimpse through the haze a silhouette of the man. The symbols on the scroll were glowing, thrumming with each word spoken. The air around Madara was turbulent, the black robe fluttering in the swirl of such powerful chakra. Naruto looked to his right, to the cell Sakura was being held in.

His eyes widened, taking in Sakura's state. It seemed she was being affected like himself. Her eyes were clenched shut, jaw locked in pain and shaking visibly. What bothered Naruto, though, was that she looked to be glowing. The same chakra that was emanating from the scroll surrounded the pink-haired kunoichi.

He turned his sights towards Sasuke. His head was thrown back, arching up, heels digging into the stone floor. He, too, was glowing. Just _what in the hell_ was happening?!

Before he looked down at himself Naruto already knew what he would find. The odd feeling of his chakra, of something trying to dig deep into him - it was coming form the scroll. Madara was doing this to them! But why? Was it truly to unlock this "power" inside them? That was absurd! Naruto already had the Kyuubi inside him, he was pretty sure there wasn't room for one more.

Madara finished the last line of words known only to him, and with a dramatic flourish he rapidly formed a series of hand signs, then smacked one hand down on the center of the scrolls. All Naruto caught sight of was a blinding light before the foreign chakra overpowered him, washing over him, invading him, reaching into the deepest parts of himself, probing. Searching.

He felt it when the power was found. It unlocked, and Naruto came undone.

* * *

_.two._

* * *

As the moon shone down through the cracks and crevices in the canopy of leaves, painting their skin in nonsensical geometrical patterns, Sakura knew in an odd corner of her soul that they were destined for greatness.

When a gust of wind would dance over their camp site, extinguishing the last remnants of flames and carrying a few sparks to flight, the pink haired girl would breathe in deeply, desperate to imprint this moment, this feeling into her being.

* * *

_.omne._

* * *

He woke to blackness. He was lying on the cold ground with nothing in sight. Naruto sat up, still groggy from... whatever had just happened. _Where am I? _He wondered, glancing around. Madara, Sasuke and Sakura were no where in sight. He certainly wasn't in the prison cell anymore. At least he was free of the chains.

He stood, brushing his clothes off lightly. He surveyed his surroundings, looking for a sign of life, anything. Black was all he saw. Blond eyebrows furrowed. How did he get here? Where was _here_?

_Hey, Kurama, a little help would be nice. _He addressed the Nine Tails.

There was no response.

_Kurama? Kyuubi? Don't ignore me!_

More silence. Naruto scoffed, then closed his eyes and tried to reach out to the fox's presence. At first he felt nothing, and panic shot through him. Where the Kyuubi should be, where he had always been, there was nothing but emptiness; a gaping hole. He redoubled his efforts, searching once more, and this time he met a solid wall.

Naruto visibly flinched and stumbled back. _What was that? _It certainly wasn't the Kyuubi, and was unlike anything he had ever encountered.

Before he was able to investigate further, a voice called out to him.

_Naruto,_

"What?" Naruto whispered, glancing around. That voice almost sounded like...

_Naruto,_

"Sakura-chan?" He didn't see anyone nearby. "Sakura-chan!" He yelled.

_Naruto, where are you? _This time it came from his right. His head whipped in that direction, and then he felt it, he felt _her. _"I'm coming Sakura-chan! Wait for me!"

He sprinted in said direction, Sakura's voice continually calling out to him, over and over. _Naruto, Naruto, where are you?_

"I'm right here, Sakura-chan!" He answered. Soon he could make out a splash of pink in the distance. "Sakura-chan!"

The girl stopped, seemingly stunned and turned to him. A grin broke out on his face as he waved to his teammate. "I found you!"

"Naruto!" She exclaimed, relieved. Sakura started towards him as well, smile lighting up her green eyes.

They hugged fiercely, Sakura's arms winding around Naruto's neck, hands fisting in his hair and jacket. His arms were securely around her waist, face buried in her shoulder, crushing her body to his. He enjoyed her warmth. It was a reminder that she was _alive _and _safe_. He could protect her. Overcome with the sudden intensity of emotion, he breathed in deeply, taking in her presence.

"Sakura-chan," He whispered into her pink locks.

"Naruto," Her hands tightened in response. "You're here."

Unwillingly, Naruto pulled away slightly, keeping his hands at her hips. He looked into her eyes, smiling, before scanning the rest of her body, searching for signs of injury.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He inquired in a serious tone.

Sakura offered a small smile. "No, I'm fine. What about you?" Her eyes were serious as they roved over his face.

"I'm fine, but," He frowned. "What happened, Sakura-chan? Where are we?"

She sighed, her eyes fluttering closed. "I'm not sure. The last thing I remember is Madara telling us that - that _story - _and then activating that scroll and then," Her forehead creased in thought. "I felt something trying to get inside, like it was searching for something," her eyes opened to look into his. "and now I'm here."

Naruto nodded silently, looking off to the side in deep thought, one hand coming up to scratch his head. "It's the same with me. At first I thought it was the Kyuubi, but he told me it wasn't him. He said it wasn't something to be messed with."

Sakura looked troubled. "So," she bit her lip hesitantly. "Is what Madara said true? Does this "power" truly exist? Is it inside of us?"

"I don't know," Naruto whispered.

"Do you... Have you seen Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

Naruto's head snapped up. "I forgot about Sasuke!" He looked around frantically, hoping to see an Uchiha fan. "No, I haven't. He was with us in the prison! He's got to be around here somewhere, right?"

"I hope so," Sakura said, stepping back. She grasped the hand that lingered on her hip. Naruto met her gaze and she smiled at him. "Let's look for him together."

Naruto grinned back at her, his free hand coming up into a fist. "You bet!"

They stare at each other, content in each other's warmth, when suddenly Naruto felt a pull to her. Like something inside him was calling out to something inside her. Like his whole _being _was aching for Sakura, down to his soul. Her eyes widened and Naruto knew she was feeling it too. His breathing quickened and he reached out for her other hand, interlocking their fingers.

He needed to be closer to her, to feel her. It wasn't lust, he was no stranger to that when it came to Sakura; this was stronger, more desperate. Naruto felt like he was missing a part of himself and Sakura could fill that hole. It felt like she was a part of him, his heart, his soul. Struggling under this rush of feeling, Naruto pulled her closer, leaning his head down till their foreheads touched.

"N-Naruto," Sakura stuttered, her voice breathy and a few octaves lower than normal. She was just affected as he was. Her hands were shaking in his and he gripped them tighter.

"I think..." Naruto began. Sakura's eyes closed, as if the sound of his voice had a calming affect on her. The pull pulsed, tightening between them and Naruto growled. "I think... this is the power. I think Madara was telling the truth."

Sakura merely nodded, still shaking slightly. She let out a tiny breath, the cool air caressing Naruto's face, and he could _feel_ her in the rush of air. He could feel her hands ruffling his hair, congratulating him. He could feel her fist smashing into his face after a perverted joke. He could feel her tears soaking into his jacket after they had failed to get Sasuke back _again. _He could feel the life thrumming through her, through _him, _her heart beating in time with his.

_This, _Naruto mused, dazed, _is what I imagine being in love with someone feels like._

They stood there, soaking up the company of the other, for an immeasurable amount of time. Yet something began to pick at their harmony. Small, at first, a fleeting scratch, that grew and pestered until neither could ignore it. Naruto stepped away from Sakura, which took an unusual amount of effort, and looked for the disturbance.

"What is that?" Sakura asked.

Naruto was quiet, focusing in on the feeling as it grew more pronounced, becoming on actual weight on him, pushing and pulling at him like waves in the ocean. His gaze hardened. He knew this feeling.

"Naruto?" Sakura prompted again. He ignored her. It was coming closer. He tensed, shifting slightly so that Sakura was behind him.

He couldn't figure out if this was a hostile force or not. It was powerful, that was for sure, but he could not discern its intent. It was... conflicted, greatly so. Confused. Yearning. For them. It was _calling out for them._

Naruto sucked in a breath, freezing in place. _Could it be?_

"What is it, Naruto? What's coming over here? Is it -"

They saw him at the same time. Naruto could feel the lurch Sakura's heart gave and the resulting tug. It was almost painful. Her breathing was arrested and Naruto's stopped with hers. Adrenaline pumped through their veins.

Sasuke continue to walk towards them, deadly glare set upon his face, eyes red with the Sharigan. He stopped ten feet from them.

They all stared.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sasuke seethed. "What did you do?"

They felt the tug from Sasuke, directly at their heart. It hurt. Why did Sasuke-kun always hurt them?

"It wasn't us!" Naruto muttered through clenched teeth. "It was Madara! He did this."

Sasuke's hand twitched, nearing his Kusangi sword. They tensed even more. Sasuke-kun wouldn't hurt them, right? Their heart siezed again. Images of Sasuke flashed before their eyes, his body transformed by the Curse Seal, flying through the air towards them, hand chirping with the Chidori. In another, his hand gripped their neck tightly, painfully, kunai in hand, ready to take their life.

The Uchiha winced and closed his eyes, angrily shaking his head, and the memories were dispelled. They felt a staggering _push_ that rocked them back on their heels.

"Stop doing that!" Sasuke hissed, glare intensified, hands fisted at his side.

"Doing what?" They asked. Wait, no, not they. Just Naruto. He was Naruto and she was Sakura. They were two different people.

Right?

"That!" Sasuke motioned at them, as if the motion explained everything. "I can hear you two in my head! What kind of jutsu are you using?"

They - no, _Sakura-chan_, shook her head. "We're not using a jutsu, Sasuke-kun. It's," they took a reassuring breath. "It's what Madara was talking about. It's that power, inside of us."

Sasuke growled and unsheathed his sword. "If you expect me to believe that bullshit, you're even dumber than I thought. Tell me how to get out of here before I kill you both."

_Damnit, Sasuke-kun! _They thought desperately. _Don't be like this. Hate will get you nowhere!_

They pulled out for him, reaching. The Uchiha's eyes widened as they caressed their other piece inside him. For a second, they were all together, complete, and they wanted to cry out of sheer relief.

_We know you still care for us, Sasuke-kun. The bond is still there._

Sasuke yelled and scrambled back, shoving them out. They winced, a hand coming up to squeeze their chest.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Sasuke roared, chidori beginning to ignite over his body and sword, which was pointed straight for them. "You think this is funny? I'm not coming back! _I will destroy Konoha!_"

His Chidori Nagashi fired, lightning striking, electrocuting them. They screamed, one voice tumbling over the other, as the pain ripped through them. They fell to their knees, arms shaking.

They glanced up, and weary, pain-filled black eyes met theirs.

Sasuke was also on his hands and knees, sword lying beside him. Strangely, he too had burn marks littering his body, as if he had been hit with his own attack.

"Sasuke-kun," _Sakura-chan_, not them, _a different person_, said weakly. She reached out, as if to touch him, they wanted to touch him _so bad_, but pain shot through her shoulder. All three winced.

They watched as she brought her other hand up, green chakra humming, and healed her burn. A grateful sigh escaped all three lips.

"No!" Sasuke protested. "Stop it! _Stop doing that!_ I'm not with you! I am no longer your teammate!"

Despite his words, he was pulling on them more than ever, frantic in his need.

"We know how you really feel, Sasuke-kun," Naruto's husky voice repeated. "We can feel what's in your heart. You're calling for us. Well," he paused as he stood up, holding a hand out for Sakura, helping her to rise beside him.

"We're here, and we're not going anywhere."

They approached him, no hesitation in their steps, their guard completely down. They weren't afraid of him. They trusted him. Their eyes, faces and hearts were utterly open and vulnerable to him. They wanted to let him in.

Sasuke remained in his position on the floor, eyes wide in panic or shock, unable to move. They stopped inches from him and crouched, level with his gaze. His arms shook. Two hands, one tan and the other pale, were before him, palms up, waiting for him to return the gesture. They watched him, lovingly, patiently, no rush in their gazes.

"I can't give up my hate for Konoha," he whispered, pleading. He needed for them to understand.

They did. They would.

"It's ok," They replied.

"I don't know what to do now," They had never seen Uchiha Sasuke look so vulnerable in their life. Their heart reached out to his, and this time it returned the hold.

Three become one. They all staggered under the immense feeling, the power running between the three of them. They stared into each other's eyes, their souls bared.

They felt the crushing pain of seeing their Otou-san and Kaa-san lying on the floor, drenched in blood. They felt the denial when their Onii-san confessed to the crime.

They felt the infinite loneliness of having no family and the sting of the village's hatred, being called a demon child, not knowing what they did to deserve such a fate.

They felt their heart break as a thank you was whispered behind them. They felt worthless, useless as they watched from the sidelines, having to be protected again.

The whirlwind subsided, the myriad of memories and emotions coming to an end.

They understood. They knew what to do.

"Come with us," Naruto said.

Sasuke hesitated.

Sakura caressed his cheek. He leaned into her touch and Naruto sighed at the feeling.

"It's ok," She repeated.

Sasuke nodded, grabbing his sword and sheathing it. He looked Naruto in the eye, reaching for their hands.

* * *

_.trium._

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes. Dust and smoke permeated the air and she coughed, the movement tugging on her still dislocated shoulders. She groaned, and slowly brought her hand to the injury.

_I can move my hands!_

She whipped her head to the side, beholding the wall. The chains that had previously held her wrists hostage were broken, hanging uselessly. _What happened?_

She glanced to the front of her cell, the dust clearing. The steel bars were blown out, releasing her from her prison. Gingerly, she rose to her feet, trying to make no sudden movements, wary of her shoulders.

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun!" She called out.

Sakura felt their hearts beat in response. She stumbled a bit in her advancement out of the cell. This... _connection_ was hard to get used to.

"You're telling me," Naruto grumbled in response, rising from his cell. She could feel them both slowly getting their wits back about them and try to make sense of their surroundings.

They joined her in the middle of room. Once again the undeniable pull forced them to get close to each other, as close as possible. They stumbled forward, unsteady with their steps. They were half delusional, each only seeing the other two. Their feet and shoulders brushed each other. Sakura winced.

Two sets of eyes immediately went to her. They felt her pain. "Your shoulders," Sasuke said. Sakura nodded. "They need to be set back in place."

Naruto and Sasuke stood on either side of her, hands poised. Sakura passed on the knowledge of how to properly relocate shoulders and nodded, indicating she was ready. Simultaneously, they shoved her shoulders back into their sockets and Sakura bit her lip to hold back a cry.

"T-Thanks," she breathed out. Naruto grasped her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as Sasuke lightly massaged her shoulder. The pain lessened slightly, and Sakura felt whole, here between her two boys. Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke was the first to step back, and his counterparts gave him a look at his actions. "Where's Madara?"

They stiffened and glanced around, probing for the sinister chakra. "Look!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing to a massive hole where the door used to be. A body was lying motionless beyond the threshold.

They approached, ready to defend at the slightest movement. Uchiha Madara laid on the ground, mask blown off, blood seeping beside his body. Sakura knelt beside him, fingers pressed to his neck head bent over his lips, checking for signs of life. When she found none, she gathered newly returned chakra to her hand and scanned his body, wanting to be thorough.

"He's dead." She informed her teammates, though they knew the second she did. "What now?" Sakura asked, turning towards them.

"We take care of the Juubi," Naruto said with unwavering conviction. "We're the only ones that can."

Sakura nodded, getting to her feet. "Which way?"

"One second," Naruto closed his eyes and formed a seal. A moment later Sakura felt the natural energy flow into him. It was strange, being able to feel Naruto transform into Sage Mode, but not doing so herself.

He probed the land, and almost immediately detected the enormous chakra of the Juubi. "There!" Naruto announced. He dashed down the hallway, Sakura and Sasuke right on his heels.

Sakura knew distantly that she should be worried. They were about to go fight the _Juubi,_ the Ten Tails - the most powerful demon in existence. It could probably just squish her and then the fight would be over with. But she wasn't. Worried, that is. She had Naruto and Sasuke running right beside her, ready to fight with her. _Her boys._

She smiled, heart warming at the thought. They felt the love she projected to them. Naruto stopped suddenly, turning, and before she could protest he had her in his arms, lips crashing to hers, leaving her breathless.

Sakura thought her knees were about to give because _Wow, Naruto sure could kiss_, but Sasuke was instantly behind her, holding her steady. The blonde pulled away, smile blinding and full of such unconditional love. His piercing blue eyes glanced up to Sasuke, and Sakura felt his fingers dig into her arms. Without preamble Naruto claimed his lips as well, trapping Sakura between their two bodies. Naruto let all his emotion flood the two of them and Sakura whimpered at the intensity.

Tears sprang into her eyes as the boys separated, breathing heavily. Naruto instantly looked concerned. "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" He stroked her cheek. "We love you too, you know we do. Right, Sasuke-teme?" He gave the other boy a look.

"Hn." Sasuke replied. He ran his hands up and down her arms soothingly. Sakura leaned her body into his. "It's not that, Naruto, I know you two love me. I can feel it. Even from Sasuke-kun." She smiled, the knowledge that Sasuke actually loved her back astonishing.

"I'm just," She choked back tears. "I'm just _so happy._" A renegade tear rolled down her face.

A hand turned her chin to the right, and green eyes met black. Sasuke channeled his emotions to them, she knew Naruto felt it when she heard his gasp, and Sakura trembled. His love, though still burdened with sadness and regret and hatred, was full and _pure _and just for the two of them.

He kissed her, lightly, an innocent, chaste meeting of lips. Sakura gripped Naruto's jacket to anchor herself to the ground. Each meeting of their lips between the three of them sent the power within them thrumming, alive and surging and sending their senses into overload. It was simply euphoric. Sasukea and Sakura ignored Naruto's poignant exclamation of, "Wow, that's hot!" and parted, a slight tilt on Sasuke's lips.

"Oi, make out with each other later! We got some Juubi ass to kick!" Naruto yelled, effectively killing the mood and their earlobes. They were still pressed up on each other.

"Tch, dobe, we're right here. You don't have to yell." Sasuke's voice rumbled through his chest against Sakura's back.

Naruto just grinned. They continued on, a silent promise between the three of them to explore this part of the connection at a more appropriate time, and focused on the war at hand.

They heard the roar of the Juubi and the sounds of battle way before they came to the clearing where the battle was taking place. For a hundred miles all around, trees were uprooted, the ground was littered with craters and bodies were strewn everywhere. Sakura's stomach dropped. Were those the bodies of her friends?

"They're all still there," Naruto said, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face as he looked at the destruction. "Kaka-sensei, Tsunade-baachan and the rest of the Kage, the Rookie Nine. They're still alive."

"Thanks goodness," Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

The Juubi reared its head back, chakra bubbling up in its mouth, a huge ball forming. Without another word, Team 7 ran into the heart of the battle, set on ending this, once and for all.

It was the hardest, and yet the most amazing, battle Sakura had ever taken part of. Perhaps it was because they were finally a team again. Perhaps it was because Sasuke's fate was not looming over her head. He was right there, fighting alongside her and Naruto.

They functioned a little like the six Peins, she surmised. They weren't seeing out of each other's eyes, she realized, and they could _not _use each other's techniques (they learned the hard way), but because of their odd connection, the ancient power pulsing between them, they were acutely aware of one another at all times.

Sakura could see one of the Juubi's appendages swinging down with such astonishing speed for such a gargantuan size, approaching too fast for Sasuke to react, and she _willed_ with her whole being for Sasuke to _move out of the way_ and miraculously, without his own conscious thought, Sasuke did. He looked as shocked as Sakura felt, staring at the crater where he had been standing seconds before.

Sakura found she could will them healed as well. It still expended chakra from her, but she didn't have to physically be near them to heal a stab or broken rib. She used this more sparingly as it required much chakra and concentration, but it definitely saved theirs lives more than once.

They were able to coordinate attacks flawlessly, silently, through this "telepathy" or whatever the hell it was. They weren't so much _thinking_ to each other as their thoughts were one. She wasn't sure if it was her or Naruto who thought of implementing the sneak attack with his Kage Bushin, when they were well into the fight, beaten and bloody and ready to collapse, on their last fumes of chakra. The thought occurred to her and Sasuke at the same time it did for him. They didn't have to stop and plan. They were working in the perfect harmony that the Sandaime had envisioned years ago when he placed them on a team together.

One of Naruto's clones catapulted Sakura up into the air with the Nine Tail's chakra and as she began her descent to its unguarded back, Sakura gathered the remains of her chakra into the heel of her foot, slamming it down. While it was momentarily stunned, Naruto and Sasuke pounced. The Sword of Totsuka and a Wakusei Rasengan pierced the demon, the force of the attack blowing the three teammates away. The demon let out an earth-shattering wail, thrashing violently, as its body slowly started to crack and began to crumble, pieces rising up into the heavens.

Team 7 defeated the Juubi.

* * *

_.perfectum._

* * *

Sasuke lay on the ground next to his teammates, body sore, battered and bruised all over. With great effort he turned his head, seeing Naruto and Sakura in similar states. They watched as the Juubi dissolved in the air, its last cries lingering in the suddenly silent atmosphere.

The clouds above swirled, dark and ominous. Lightning flashed in the distance, thunder rolling in its wake. It began to rain.

Sasuke closed his eyes, enjoying the icy feel of the water raining down on his abused body.

He had never felt more at peace.

Madara was dead, the Juubi was defeated, and he was back with the only two people left in the world that he cared about. He was sure someone, Kakashi most likely, was bound to check on them any minute now. He realized in the not-so-distant future he was going to be dragged, yes, _dragged_, back to fucking Konoha by Naruto and Sakura, where he would have to answer for his crimes.

He couldn't bring himself to care about that at the moment. Right now, all that mattered was the two bodies lying next to him, radiating heat and _life,_ and the freezing rain falling on them.

He felt Naruto's hand grasp his, so warm, and he interlocked their fingers. He knew Sakura was holding Naruto's other hand, because he felt the _rightness_ of the three of them together slide into place the moment they were all connected. Sasuke wished they could lie there, just the three of them, until the world ended and their bodies crumbled and nothing else existed but them.

It was simply too good to last.

Naruto's strangled gasp and resulting tightening hold of Sasuke's hand broke the serene silence.

"What is it?" Sakura demanded, sitting up and examining the teen.

Naruto didn't answer and Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "He's speaking with the Kyuubi," He realized.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Sakura's wide, green eyes implored.

"I don't know."

Something was off about her. The more he looked at her, the more pale and battered she appeared. He was sure chakra exhaustion was a part of it, but there was something more affecting her. Feeling panic swell inside him, Sasuke probed inside her, invading her heart and mind. His heart stopped when he felt the wound her side. It was internal, a punctured lung and internal bleeding slowly drowning her. She didn't have much time left.

"Sakura!" He scrambled up, reaching out to her. Sakura smacked his hand away but grabbed it tightly in the next second. "Heal yourself!" He demanded, eyes burning into hers.

She smiled, that damn, beautiful, _heartbreaking_ smile and shook her head. "I'm all out of chakra."

"Use mine!" He pleaded. She coughed and blood rolled past her chapped lips. "You don't have any left either. We're all out. It's too late, Sasuke-kun. But its okay." Her smile remained even as the tears spilled out. "I'm with you two."

"No! It's not ok! We need to get you to Tsunade right away!" He started to rise - there was no way in hell he was about to let her play martyr - when Naruto's voice stopped him.

"She's right, Sasuke," Naruto whispered. Sasuke's head snapped down to the blond. He looked even worse than Sakura. "It's too late."

Sasuke wanted to punch his best friend in the face. Naruto _never _gives up. "How can you say such a thing?!"

"The Kyuubi just spoke with me," Naruto continued, seemingly ignoring Sasuke's question. "He's dying and will soon join his brothers and sisters. Which means," He grinned and Sasuke felt his heart begin to splinter. "That I am going to die too."

"Oh, no, Naruto," Sakura sobbed, the heaves of her chest short and shallow from the pain in her lung. "No, no! You _can't_ -"

"There's more," Naruto interrupted. He paused, giving the two of them looks that made Sasuke grip his hand even harder. "The Juubi is a demon. Even though we killed it for now, it will reincarnate and come back. Maybe in two months or 200 years from now, who knows; but it will come back."

"Then was this all for nothing?" Sasuke asked cynically. He could not hold back his pessimism now. His two lovers were dying right in front of him and _he couldn't do a damn thing to save them._

He was considering leaving them right now and carrying Tsunade or any medic he could find over here himself.

"Don't bother leaving, Sasuke," Naruto warned, deep blue eyes seeing right through him. "There's a way to stop the Juubi from coming back."

Sasuke stilled. He turned away, refusing to look at Naruto. "What is it, Naruto?" Their girl inquired.

He chuckled. "Look within yourself, Sakura-chan. You already know the answer. We figured it out already."

Sasuke hated the quiet that followed. He knew what Naruto was talking about, he had known all along. He just didn't want to believe it, refused to. There had to be another way.

But there wasn't.

He heard Sakura's gasp and resulting sob as she came upon the solution.

They would have to die, all of them.

"The power inside of us can stop the Juubi. That's what it was _made_ to do, don't you see?" Naruto placated, and Sasuke turned to see Sakura bent over his stomach and his tan hand running through her soaked hair.

"Right now is perfect. The Juubi is up in the heavens, reforming, waiting to return. If we release the power, it will become one again, and it will follow the Juubi. They'll be locked in eternal combat, away from the world, where no one else can get involved."

Sakura continued to sob into his jacket. Naruto's eyes, filled with a sadness and acceptance that preceded his young years, gazed unflinchingly into Sasuke's. "There will be peace."

Sakura lifted her head slightly, red cheeks contrasting greatly with the rest of her pale face. She was fading fast. "H-how do we release it, Naruto?" She whimpered.

Naruto smiled lovingly at her and lifted a hand to wipe the smeared blood away from her lips. "It's so simple, sweetheart. All we have to do is die. It'll be painless, I promise."

Fresh tears cascaded from her eyes and she nodded in acceptance. She leaned forward, in slow and painful halting movements, her injury handicapping her. Naruto rose up to meet her halfway and gave her one last kiss, hand cupping behind her head to deepen their contact.

They broke apart and stared into each other's eyes, as if trying to memorized the other's face, to have it seared in their memories forever. With surprising force, Sakura stated with an unwavering voice, "I love you, Naruto."

Naruto smiled, as if there wasn't a care in the world. "And I will always love you, Sakura-chan."

She turned towards Sasuke then, arm reaching out for him, shaking violently, as she began to tip forward. Sasuke shot towards her and caught the girl before she fell on top of Naruto. Sakura lifted her head to look at him. He could feel the question in her emotions, a silent plead to him.

"Annoying girl," He whispered, caressing her cold face. Her eyes were glassy, she was slipping on. "You don't have to ask." He kissed her.

He knew she was not coherent enough to understand much now, so he told her all needed and all he ever wanted to and would never have the chance to after in the kiss and in the way his arms held her and he answered her slurred, "I love you," with an, "I love you too."

Sakura died in his arms.

Sasuke and Naruto both felt her soul leave the world. There was a gust of wind and the clouds swirled, the storm getting worse. A piece of them was suddenly missing.

Sasuke clung to her body, cradling Sakura in his arms. A tremor ran through his torso and he didn't try to hold back his tears. It wasn't fair. He had to watch his most precious people die right before his eyes again.

"Oi, teme, I'm still here," Naruto broke through his haunted thoughts. Sasuke's eyes searched for Naruto's desperately, and he found his hand, clinging to it with all the life left in him.

"You came back, Sasuke," Naruto said, his voice cracking, getting steadily weaker. "I always knew you would."

Sasuke snorted through his tears. He leaned forward, conscious of the precious body still nestled in his arms. His forehead touched Naruto's. The blond's hand stroked his face, brushing away tears. He pulled his chin down for a kiss.

"I'm here," Sasuke whispered, determined to keep eye contact with Naruto, trying to anchor him to this earth for a little while longer. Naruto smiled, and his hand fell to the ground, eyes slipping shut.

Sasuke felt the other piece of his soul get whisked away with the wind and the rain. The last member of Team 7 remained there a few minutes longer, on his knees, bent over two dead bodies, crying harder than he ever had in his short life. He was still alive, but he felt like he was dead. His piece of self may remain, but he didn't see the point in existing if his two counterparts were already gone.

The heartbreak was what did him in, the wounds he had sustained from the fight a mere afterthought.

He could feel the tugging on his soul and his body getting weaker. It would be his turn soon. Straightening up, Sasuke carefully laid Sakura's torso on top of Naruto's, her head resting underneath his chin. He brought Naruto's hand up to rest on her hip, hand placed over the girl's.

The tugging was becoming incessant. The world was fading fast. He placed a kiss on each of their cold lips. Giving into his failing strength, Sasuke laid down next to Naruto, in the crook of his shoulder. He intertwined his legs with Sakura's and grabbed both of their free hands. He took one last look at their peaceful faces, the rain drops causing their skin to glisten, and closed his eyes.

"I'm here."

* * *

_.three._

* * *

For surely when the calls of the morning birds sounded and the barest touches of the dawn colored the horizon, Kakashi-sensei would rouse them from their dreams and the spell would be broken.

Her eyes would lazily track the erratic movements of the orange sparks in the air, twisting and zigzagging, traveling ever higher towards the constellations above. Naruto would mumble something incoherent and Sasuke would sigh in response, calling out to one another even in sleep.

A smile would grace her lips and her heart would give a little squeeze of happiness and only then would she close her eyes and follow her boys into darkness.

In those moments, Sakura was certain they were indestructible.

* * *

_"While distinct in their relations with one another, they are one in all else._

_The whole work of creation and grace is a single operation common to all three divine persons,_

_who at the same time operate according to their unique properties..._

_The three persons are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial."_

_- Wikipedia, The Holy Trinity_


End file.
